# "20 Questions" question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions-question/188545 "2003-07-15T02:08:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions-question/188545/1 "2003-07-15T02:08:27Z")
In the game, it’s usual to establish animal, vegetable, or mineral as early as possible. When I was in school, living organisms were either animals or vegetables (as in plants). Since then, by way mostly of TV, I have heard that there are considerably more “kingdoms” than those basic three. What are they? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions-question/188545/2 "2003-07-15T02:12:09Z")
There are five, according to most biologists: 1. Plant 2. Animal 3. Protists 4. Fungi 5. Bacteria ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions-question/188545/3 "2003-07-15T02:14:04Z")
What about slime molds? I heard they are a separate category now. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions-question/188545/4 "2003-07-15T02:19:39Z")
I thought those were considered protists? Oh well, if the slime molds want their own kingdom, so be it. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions-question/188545/5 "2003-07-15T02:29:53Z")
Any general guidelines on how to distinguish one critter from another in these non-animal/non-vegetable groups? And is it accurate to refer to something made of plastic as “mineral”? Or does the kind of plastic matter? ---
**Author:** ![lilbtagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lilbtagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilbtagna)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions-question/188545/6 "2003-07-15T02:32:05Z")
According to microbiologists, there are three. They’re not what you’d expect though. 1. Bacteria, prokaryotes which include E. coli and all Gram-positive bacteria. 2. Archaea, which are more prokaryotes. 3. Eukarya, which are eukaryotes that include slime molds, fungi, plants, and animals. From a microbiologist’s point of view, distinguishing one organism from another basically depends on the make-up of the ribosomal RNA. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions-question/188545/7 "2003-07-15T03:53:53Z")
Though I believe in animal-vegetable-mineral you traditionally say: fungi are ‘vegetable’ bacteria are ‘animal’ plastics are ‘mineral’ (sometimes even rubber :smack:) inconvenient other groups are ‘sort of - I’m being a prat, so it’s not animal, vegetable or mineral’ Of course, we’ve tried to extend the game (eg. an abstract category) but we’ve a way to go yet. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions-question/188545/8 "2003-07-15T06:19:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zeldar \* > \*\*And is it accurate to refer to something made of plastic as “mineral”? Or does the kind of plastic matter? \*\* According to George Carlin, the Earth created humans solely for their plastic, because the Earth wanted plastic but couldn’t make it itself. So really, we should be referring to planet #3 of the solar system as, “Earth + Plastic” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![refusal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@refusal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refusal)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions-question/188545/9 "2003-07-15T11:19:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zeldar \* > \*\*And is it accurate to refer to something made of plastic as “mineral”? Or does the kind of plastic matter? \*\* Since many plastics are made from petroleum by-products, to answer the question, it is necessary to decide if crude oil is mineral, plant or animal: you could have a similar debate with coal and limestone, which are also made largely from the decayed bodies of assorted creatures (animal, plant and protozoa). Such are the complexities of 20 Questions.